MICROCRYSTALLITE TITANIUM DISULFIDE CATHODES FOR PULSE POWER

RECHARGEABLE POWER SOURCES POSSESSING HIGH ENERGY DENSITIES, BRIEF BUTREPETITIVE HIGH CURRENT OUTPUTS, AND THOUSANDS OF DUTY CYCLES ARE REQUIRED FOR STRATEGIC DEFENSE SYSTEMS. TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS, HIGH SURFACE AREA, THIN FILM CATHODES ARE BEING FABRICATED FOR AMBIENT TEMPERATURE LITHIUM BATTERIES. THESE CATHODES FEATURE AN ARRAY OF APPROXIMATELY L MICROMETER MICROCRYSTALLITE TIS2 PLATES ORIENTED SUCH THAT THE AXIS OF LITHIUM INTERCALATION IS PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE OF THE CURRENT COLLECTOR. RECHARGEABLE CELLS COMPRISING THESE CATHODES AND LI FOIL ANODES ARE BEING ASSEMBLED AND CYCLED UNDER PRESSURE BY A COMPUTER-CONTROLLED BATTERY CYCLER SPECIFICALLY DESIGNEDFOR HIGH RATES, LOW CAPACITIES, AND MANY CYCLES. PREPARATION AND COMPLETE CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MICROCRYSTALLITE TIS2 CATHODES IS UNDERWAY. DUE TO THE SHORT DISCHARGE TIMES (50 TO 100 MSEC) HUNDREDS OF CYCLES ARE BEING ACCUMULATED PER DAY, THEREBY PROVIDING RAPID FEEDBACK IN IDENTIFYING THE CRITICAL VARIABLES AFFECTING PULSE POWER PERFORMANCE. RECHARGEABLE LITHIUM PULSE POWER SYSTEMS COULD FIND IMMEDIATE USE IN MILITARY SATELLITES AND AIRBORNE WEAPONS SYSTEMS. THIS TECHNOLOGY IS ALSO APPLICABLE TO BIO-MEDICAL HARDWARE SUCH AS IMPLANTED DEFIBRILLATORS WHERE HIGH CURRENT PULSES WITH NO VOLTAGE LAGARE REQUIRED.